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Book Review of Fat, Forty, and Fired: One Man's Frank, Funny, and Inspiring Account of Losing His Job and Finding His Life

bombschell avatar reviewed excellent tale on + 214 more book reviews


Nigel Marsh writes a thoroughly entertaining account of his "year off". Set mostly in Sydney, AUS, Marsh sets up the story of his and his wife's lives with their 4 children and his uninvolvement in their day to day lives that lead to his decision to take a year off work. I think the title is a bit mistleading because Nigel does not "lose" his job. When his firm is bought out, he, as CEO, coordinates the integration, and realizes that the only way he can stay with the company is to be willing to relocate overseas again. He and his wife just moved to Sydney 2 years prior and fell totally in love with it and had no desire to move. Because they had enough savings, they decided that Nigel could quit his job and be a stay at home dad for about a year. The results of that decision are turned into a funny, at times laugh out loud, book. He obviously adores his kids, who are hysterical, and is totally in love with this way too good for him wife. Syndey also becomes somewhat of a character in the book. H wrote this book in '04, and I love to hear what his family (especially the kids) have been up to since then.